One Shot
by Jack Scarlett
Summary: At Helm's Deep, Legolas has the chance to save thousands of lives, but he misses his shot. How does that effect him? Partly AU partly from the Movie TTT.


One Shot  
  
An: I don't own Lord of the Ring, this is partly from the movie, the Two Towers, and partly AU! Hope you read that, If I get flamed because it doesn't follow the book or the movie, then you didn't read the disclaimer. This idea came to me when I was listening to the LOTR soundtrack and re-writing one of my stories. It is during the battle of Helm's Deep, and the one shot that Legolas couldn't make, and how it effected him. Oh! And a little note, for anyone who has read the books, I know that Gimli actually beats Legolas in their little "Game." By one, but after watching the movie, I decided that Gimli cheated by standing next to the ladders. So Legolas wins!  
  
~~~  
  
"Take him out!!"  
  
The voice of Aragorn ran through my ears as I notched another arrow on my bow. Pulling back on the string, I lead the Uruk-hai on for a second before I fired.  
  
My arrow did not strike true! My arrow was dug into the Uruk-hai's shoulder!  
  
"Kill him!! KILL HIM!!" Aragorn shouted.  
  
I quickly notched a second arrow, and fired again.  
  
My second arrow landed in the opposite shoulder!  
  
I watched horror struck as the Uruk-hai dove under the stone wall of Helm's Deep and landed in the water, right where the great palace's weakness sat.  
  
There was a terrible explosion as the stone wall burst into pieces. I couldn't move, as I saw men and my kin soar through the air, they were either injured badly, or dead.  
  
I missed.  
  
The only two words that ran through my head as I watched the bodies fly.  
  
No.  
  
Looking away from the explosion I saw Uruk-hai storming into Helm's Deep and up the stairs towards me. Glancing down, I saw a shield. Picking up the shield I ran over to the steps and dropped it so I lay partly on, and partly off. Grabbing an arrow, I notched it as I stepped on the shield. Sliding down the stairs I fired rapidly, all my arrows sang true.  
  
Except that one.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The battle was won!  
  
We defeated the Uruk-hai!  
  
Helm's Deep was safe once again!  
  
The women and children started out of the caves and looked around at the damage. Some women greeted their husbands and sons with bone crushing hugs. While others just stared at the dead bodies, knowing that their lover or their child was amongst them, never to return.  
  
I looked down as I rode with Aragorn to meet Gandalf the White. Even with the battle won, I could not deny the overwhelming pain I felt in my heart. I missed an important shot. During the battle I had made countless shots that were far more difficult than that, and succeeded, so why could I not make that one shot?  
  
Words were exchanged between the future king of Gondor and the now Gandalf the White, but could not hear them. The though of that one shot was still on my mind.  
  
Hundreds are dead because of you.  
  
A voice said in the back of my mind.  
  
I know.  
  
I answered it.  
  
How could you miss? They are dead because you missed that one shot! How?!  
  
The voice growled at me  
  
I do not know how.  
  
My answer was full of sadness, it sounded meek, full of fear, and sadness.  
  
Most of them were young lads, whom will never see the day they become men! They are gone! They are dead!  
  
No! Stop it!  
  
The voices inside my head argued back and forth. As Aragorn looked back at me, I held my impassive look upon my face, and forced myself to smile at Aragorn as the human smiled at me.  
  
"Come." Aragorn started. "Let us ride back to Helm's Deep."  
  
I nodded my head in response. Pulling the reins of the horseback, I turned the horse so we once again faced Helm's Deep.  
  
"Forty-two, Master Elf." Gimli said happily from behind me.  
  
"Alas, Master Dwarf, I have doubled your score. Eighty-four." I answered, I tried to keep the appraisal out of my voice, but I felt that a little had slipped past my mask.  
  
"Confounded Elf!" Gimli growled.  
  
I could not help but laugh, "Do not worry, Friend Gimli, for there are other battles that we must join in." I pointed out to the dwarf. "Maybe then you could best my score." I nodded my head slightly.  
  
"I look forward to that day, Elf." Gimli said eagerness dripped off of his words.  
  
As we entered Helm's Deep, I looked around at the dead bodies, Uruk-hai, human, and Elves alike. Then the sight of the gap in the great stone wall caught my attention, and I was soon drawn back to the thoughts of, how could I miss?  
  
I felt Gimli remove his hands from around my waist as he dropped down to the ground. I looked down at the dwarf, "Are you not coming?" He asked from his spot on the ground.  
  
I shook my head, "I have some thinking I need to do." I answered.  
  
"Legolas!"  
  
It was Aragorn, he was walking over towards me. Deciding that my thinking could wait for a moment longer, I dismounted from my horse, and met with Aragorn.  
  
"Come Legolas, Gimli, we must help the others dispose of the dead." Aragorn said.  
  
He failed to notice that I paled at the words. Slowly I nodded and followed Aragorn, I prayed that he was not going to start at the hole in the wall. Yet, that is where he led us. I was last in line, I could feel the tears pricking at my eyes, threatening to fall, but I held them back.  
  
" 'Tis a shame that they got through the wall." Aragorn started as he moved a body of a young lad, he looked to be 10 years old. This was torture for me.  
  
"Yes.it is a shame many lives were lost, but, none the less.we came out victorious." Gimli replied throwing and Uruk-hai body over the stone wall, and down with the other dead Uruk-hai.  
  
I moved a body of an older man, who looked to be around Aragorn's age, and underneath him, was a small body, a boy that looked no older than 6 years old. I just stared at him. A single solitary tear fell from my eyes, "No." I whispered.  
  
Aragorn looked up, "Pardon?"  
  
I could feel his piercing gaze on my back, I dropped to my knees and held my face in my hands, the voice returned.  
  
They are dead!  
  
No! Leave my mind!  
  
Because of you! You missed!  
  
Be quiet! Leave my mind in peace!  
  
You missed the shot! Look at them! Look!  
  
I forced my hands away from my face, and looked at the young boy. Blood was smeared on his pale face. His dark brown eyes were wide and still full of fear and surprise. The youthful face was burned and marred. His limbs were twisted in a way that only death could allow.  
  
"I did this." I whispered.  
  
Aragorn froze, I could hear his footsteps, he walked over towards me and knelt down next to me. "Legolas, it was not you fault."  
  
"It is." I said quietly, another tear fell down, followed by another.  
  
"There were more, more Uruk-hai that would have done the same as the first. You cannot blame yourself mellon." I knew Aragorn was right, but I couldn't face the fact that I had did this, the hole in the stone wall, the bodies lying motionless everywhere, the blood that stained the stone steps, our clothes.my hands.  
  
I looked down at my hands.they were stained with blood.  
  
"I killed them.My hands are stained with their blood." I whispered.  
  
Aragorn did not say anything this time. He knew that I would not listen to him, he knew that I blamed myself.  
  
"I missed.I missed the one shot, the one shot that could have saved these people's lives."  
  
I missed the one shot.  
  
Only.One.shot.  
  
One.shot.  
  
One.  
  
The End.  
  
Whoa.that was different. That was a first time for me writing a POV story. I think I did OK, but what do you guys think? R&R. I finished this at 1: 35 am.that's the last time I do something like that.  
  
-? Jack Scarlett ?- 


End file.
